Lebanon has endured incessant conflicts since 1975, due to both civil wars and the unfortunate role that this small, complex, and religiously divided country keeps playing: that of a battleground for regional powers fighting their own conflicts. In addition to representing a threat to the country’s mere survival, this violence also contributes to the breakdown of the rule of law, and hinders basic democracy.

By asking women to wear the military uniform, I attempted to show the extent to which Lebanon’s civil society has been affected by decades of brutality. Traumatized victims of relentless hostilities, these women have had to contend with the realities of war for over three decades. Like gangrene, violence has invaded their most intimate spaces and haunted each and every aspect of their lives. Despite never having actively participated in armed conflicts, all of these women carry within them the relentless echoes of gunfire.

This series was my personal way of sending yet another pressing message to our politicians, so that entire generations are not scarred and burdened by the shadows of war.